A Hoops Journey

Episode 108 - Diego Maffia

Episode 108 - Diego Maffia
For episode 108 we have a very special guest Diego Maffia! 2023 Canada West Player of the Year, dropped 96 points in a high school game and was recently selected 6th overall by the Vancouver Bandits.
Diego comes on the podcast to talk about growing up in Brazil and moving to Vancouver Island in 2015, the power of community and the importance of giving back, finding his footing at Oak Bay and having a historic high school career, playing for the Vikes and the university experience, and shares his dreams of going pro. 
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Podcast Guests: Diego Maffiahttps://www.thebandits.ca/roster/diego-maffia
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 107 - Kevin Love Fund

“Everyone is going through something that we can’t see.” - @kevinlove
Kevin Love has been very open about his personal struggles after a public moment years ago. Since that time it’s been Kevin’s mission to help change people’s perspective on mental health.
Mitch sits down with Ellie and Sara from the @kevinlovefund to talk about an important program for school teachers, and how we can support the young people in our lives. Episode 107 is based on a basketball player's story but it’s so much more than that, an important listen for all of us as we work our way through life and the challenges we face.
We hope you enjoy this surprise drop episode, thanks to the great people at KLF for being with us. Feel free to find out more info at kevinlovefund.org! Best of luck to Kevin and his Miami Heat on their historic playoff run!
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Podcast Guests: Kevin Love Fund - Ellie and SaraWebsite: https://kevinlovefund.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinlovefundTwitter: https://twitter.com/kevinlovefundMedia: https://www.si.com/nba/2022/09/21/kevin-love-fund-free-mental-health-curriculum
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Sponsors:PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 106 - Patrick Tatham

Back like we never left! Episode 106 has us connecting with current McMaster head coach Patrick Tatham. “PT” and Mitch go back in time to discuss a variety of things; from some poor decision-making as a young person that led to a unique opportunity involving basketball, and why a small D1 school was the right choice.
Patrick’s coaching journey has been a unique one as well, from assistant coaching roles to the G league with a former guest of the show and now leading a storied University program. Patrick talks mentorship from a former guest and the future of the U19 men’s team he is going to lead this summer. The goals and standards are high, we wish the squad best of luck!
No better way to spend your Friday than downloading and subscribing to your favourite hoops podcast! Thank you to our sponsors @parksidebrewery @pgc_hoops and @atobball.
As always to you—our listeners, we see and appreciate you!
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Podcast Guests: Patrick TathamWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_TathamLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-tatham-099a881b
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Sponsors:PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 105 - Marek Klassen

In Episode 105, we catch up with Marek Klassen, a former BC superstar and current French professional athlete. Marek takes us back to his childhood days where he grew up under the guidance of his father, Dave, who was heavily involved in coaching Athletes In Action. From an early age, Marek was surrounded by professionals and witnessed the dedication required to excel in sports. During the episode, Marek, the former 2010 AAA Champion and Most Valuable Player for the Yale Lions, shares fascinating stories from his experiences playing collegiate basketball in the US, professional basketball overseas, and even for his hometown team, the Vancouver Bandits! You don't want to miss this episode, so tune in and remember to like, subscribe, and spread the word to your friends!
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Podcast Guest: Marek KlassenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/marekklassenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarekKlassen3/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek_Klassen
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Sponsors:PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 104 - Alan Tait

Welcome to Episode 104 of A Hoops Journey, where we have the pleasure of hosting Alan Tait, considered one of the greatest BC high school basketball players of all time. Alan takes us through his remarkable journey, sharing his experiences playing for the dominant Richmond Colts and achieving success in high school. He also shares his experience of being one of the first Canadians to play Division 1 basketball and playing alongside AC Green at Oregon State. Alan reflects on the profound impact that basketball has had on his life during this trip down memory lane. Thank you for listening!
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Podcast Guests: Alan Tait
Sponsors:PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 103 - Jack Jensen

Jack is a multifaceted creative professional based in Los Angeles. He has a wide range of skills including writing, directing, photography, strategy, consulting, and creating, and is a regular consumer of acai bowls.
Originally from Denver, Jack began his career as a sportswriter and has since contributed to SLAM magazine. He spent three months in Barcelona following LaLiga, was a former 30 Under 30 select, directed Kobe Bryant in "Nike: Mamba Mentality," and created a campaign featuring Leo Messi that received over 140 million views. He co-founded The Rec League, a full-service creative agency and production company in 2018.
Reach out to us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Podcast Guests: Jack JensenRec League Legends: https://www.instagram.com/recleaguelegendsLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensenjack/
Sponsors:PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
ATOn Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

Episode 102 - Tommy, Phil, and Lloyd Scrubb

A Hoops Journey returns with a highly anticipated podcast after a brief hiatus. For episode 102, we have the privilege of interviewing one of Canada's most distinguished basketball families, the Scrubb family.
Lloyd Scrubb, played for Richmond High and won two national titles in 1984 and 1985 at Uvic under the legendary Ken Shields. After coaching at the U Sports level, Lloyd remained involved in the game at the grassroots and high school levels in BC.
Tommy Scrubb, played both football and basketball at Vancouver College. He is a five-time national champion with Carleton and a two-time defensive player of the year, CIS tournament MVP in 2013, and currently plays for Monbus Obradoiro in Spain while also making multiple appearances for the Canadian national team.
Phil Scrubb, who attended Vancouver College and had an impressive high school career. He won numerous awards in college, including five CIS championships, and represented Canada's national teams on the international stage multiple times. Scrubb has been playing overseas since 2015, and currently plays for Monbus Obradoiro alongside his brother. The Scrubbs are a family with an impressive basketball pedigree that deserve more recognition in the Canadian basketball scene.
Email us at ahoopsjourney@gmail.com
Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
Podcast Guests: Tommy ScrubbPhil ScrubbLloyd Scrub
PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/

Episode 101 - Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe

For Episode 101 of A Hoops Journey, we have current SFU Women's Assistant Coach Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe! The Toronto-born BC native joins us to chat about her journey from Ontario, to UBC, back to Ontario, then to Vernon and up Burnaby Mountain at SFU! She details her path through the Canada Women's National Team, playing in Switzerland, what it felt like to represent Canada at the Olympics and the FISU games, her time playing for the New York Liberty of the WNBA and so much more; Goonies, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce - all that and more on this episode!

Episode 100 - Kevin Pangos

Episode 100 in the books folks! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our journey to this point. For this episode, we have former Gonzaga Bulldog and currently playing for Olimipa Milano of the LBA: Kevin Pangos. The 2015 WCC player of the year and 4x First-team All-WCC team member sits down with us from Lithuania (RIP WIFI) to chat about his own hoops journey starting in Ontario and finding his way to the National Team, representing Canada numerous times and committed to the Senior Men's national team. We talk to him about how he got to Gonzaga, March Madness nerves, Euroleague vs the NBA and so much more!
 

Episode 99 - Nate Yu

We have former UBC Thunderbird, longtime friend of the podcast and currently playing professional basketball for South China Athletic Association in Hong Kong, Nate Yu. The former 2012 Canada West 1st-team All-Star who captained Team Canada to a silver medal in the 2011 FISU Games in Shenzhen, China joins us early in his morning to chat about his upbringing in Prince George, how Episode 8 guest (brother) Jordan Yu helped influence his basketball journey, a quick summary of his high school years, funny Hong Kong basketball stories and much more! Nate shares some reflections dealing with some of the hardest years of basketball he's been through, being Nostradamus and other great stories in Episode 99 of A Hoops Journey!